When working with Apache HTTP Server, we often need to serve content from directories outside the default DocumentRoot (/var/www/html). This scenario is common when:

• Maintaining large media files separately
• Sharing resources between multiple applications
• Following security best practices by keeping sensitive data outside web root

Method 1: Using Symbolic Links

This approach creates a virtual link within your web root pointing to the external directory:

# Create symbolic link
sudo ln -s /data /var/www/html/data

# Verify permissions
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /data
sudo chmod -R 755 /data

Key considerations:

• Maintains original file structure
• Requires proper filesystem permissions
• Follows the directory if it moves (soft link)

Method 2: Using Apache Alias Directive

This server configuration method is more flexible and secure:

# Edit Apache configuration
sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/000-default.conf

# Add within VirtualHost section:
Alias /data "/data"
<Directory "/data">
    Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
    AllowOverride None
    Require all granted
</Directory>

After saving, restart Apache:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

When exposing external directories:

• Always restrict access with Directory directives
• Consider using Require ip for internal networks
• Disable directory listing with Options -Indexes

For a more robust setup with authentication:

Alias /secure-data "/mnt/external-storage"
<Directory "/mnt/external-storage">
    AuthType Basic
    AuthName "Restricted Content"
    AuthUserFile /etc/apache2/.htpasswd
    Require valid-user
    Options -Indexes +FollowSymLinks
    AllowOverride None
</Directory>

If you encounter 403 Forbidden errors:

# Check SELinux context (if enabled)
sudo ls -Z /data
sudo chcon -R -t httpd_sys_content_t /data

# Verify permissions
namei -l /data/path/to/file

When deploying web applications, we often need to serve files from directories outside Apache's default document root (/var/www/html). This could be for security reasons, storage limitations, or maintaining existing file structures. Here are two professional approaches:

The most maintainable solution is creating an Alias in your Apache configuration:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    # ... other directives ...
    
    Alias /data "/data"
    <Directory "/data">
        Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride None
        Require all granted
    </Directory>
</VirtualHost>

For quick testing or temporary solutions, create a symlink:

sudo ln -s /data /var/www/html/data

Then set proper permissions:

sudo chown -R apache:apache /data
sudo chmod -R 755 /data

When exposing external directories:

• Always restrict access with Directory directives
• Consider using Require ip for internal networks
• Disable directory listing with Options -Indexes

For high-traffic sites, consider these optimizations:

<Directory "/data">
    EnableMMAP Off
    EnableSendfile Off
</Directory>

If files aren't accessible:

1. Check Apache error logs: tail -f /var/log/httpd/error_log
2. Verify SELinux context: chcon -R -t httpd_sys_content_t /data
3. Test configuration: apachectl configtest